Swamp Story: A Novel
Pulitzer Prize–winning and New York Times bestselling author—and actual Florida Man—Dave Barry returns with a “hilariously funny” (Steve Martin) caper full of oddballs and more twists and turns than a snake slithering away from a gator.
Jesse Braddock is trapped in a tiny cabin deep in the Everglades with her infant daughter and her ex-boyfriend, a wannabe reality TV star who turned out to be a lot prettier on the outside than on the inside. Broke and desperate for a way out, Jesse stumbles across a long-lost treasure, which could solve all her problems—if she can figure out how to keep it. The problem is some very bad men are also looking for the treasure, and they know Jesse has it.
Meanwhile, Ken Bortle of Bortle Brothers Bait and Beer has hatched a scheme to lure tourists to his failing store by making viral videos of the “Everglades Melon Monster.” The Monster is, in fact, an unemployed alcoholic newspaperman named Phil wearing a Dora the Explorer costume head. Incredibly, this plan actually works, inspiring a horde of TikTokers to swarm into the swamp in search of the Monster at the same time villains are on the hunt for Jesse’s treasure. Amid this mayhem, a presidential hopeful arrives in the Everglades to start his campaign. Needless to say, it does not go as planned. In fact, nothing in this story goes as planned. This is, after all, Florida.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
First and foremost, for anyone who has never read anything by the author, Dave Berry is freaking hilarious. He has spent a lifetime writing award- winning humor and telling crazy, funny stories. This book is more of the same, something that he does exceptionally well – from the get-go. The book summary pretty much lays out the two storylines in the swamps of the Everglades where gators and python snakes are also on the hunt for their next meal.
What the book summary doesn’t reveal is the burgeoning attraction between Jesse and Ken Bortle’s brother, Brad. Brad and Jesse are the only MC’s who think that the Everglade’s Melon Monster with the Glades Man stunt is the STUPIEST thing that Ken and Slater (Jesse’s useless, narcissistic, pothead, slacker, baby daddy) have ever come up with and gotten themselves involved with. Brad soon becomes committed to helping Jesse and her baby, Willa, get away from Slater.
Most of the story revolves around Jesse figuring out a way to get the stash of gold she literally stumbled over out of the swamps without Duke and Billy (ex-con brothers who are looking for the gold) getting to her first. The Everglade’s Melon Monster storyline is included as more of secondary storyline, one that provides most of the humor in the story because, honestly, this particular storyline is sooo crazy stupid it’s absolutely hilarious. This was another one of those books that I had to go and read out in the living room because my laughing was keeping hubby awake when I read it at night.
There is also another storyline with Phil, the guy who played the role of the Everglade’s Melon Monster, and his attempts at staying connected to his teenage daughter, who he loves and adores, and who lives with his ex-wife, who hates his guts. The only reason Phil, an unemployed journalist, was getting involved with Ken and Slater was because he needed the money to help support his daughter.
It's in the second half of the story that all the different storylines begin to merge including the visit from the Sec of Interiors, who shows up in the Glades to stump for his future presidential run. The culmination of the storylines and the train wreck between the characters makes for a hilarious conclusion to this crazy story.
I want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
@NetGalley @Simon&Schuster @SwampStory
What the book summary doesn’t reveal is the burgeoning attraction between Jesse and Ken Bortle’s brother, Brad. Brad and Jesse are the only MC’s who think that the Everglade’s Melon Monster with the Glades Man stunt is the STUPIEST thing that Ken and Slater (Jesse’s useless, narcissistic, pothead, slacker, baby daddy) have ever come up with and gotten themselves involved with. Brad soon becomes committed to helping Jesse and her baby, Willa, get away from Slater.
Most of the story revolves around Jesse figuring out a way to get the stash of gold she literally stumbled over out of the swamps without Duke and Billy (ex-con brothers who are looking for the gold) getting to her first. The Everglade’s Melon Monster storyline is included as more of secondary storyline, one that provides most of the humor in the story because, honestly, this particular storyline is sooo crazy stupid it’s absolutely hilarious. This was another one of those books that I had to go and read out in the living room because my laughing was keeping hubby awake when I read it at night.
There is also another storyline with Phil, the guy who played the role of the Everglade’s Melon Monster, and his attempts at staying connected to his teenage daughter, who he loves and adores, and who lives with his ex-wife, who hates his guts. The only reason Phil, an unemployed journalist, was getting involved with Ken and Slater was because he needed the money to help support his daughter.
It's in the second half of the story that all the different storylines begin to merge including the visit from the Sec of Interiors, who shows up in the Glades to stump for his future presidential run. The culmination of the storylines and the train wreck between the characters makes for a hilarious conclusion to this crazy story.
I want to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
@NetGalley @Simon&Schuster @SwampStory
Enjoyable. The usual unfortunates take a wild ride through the Everglades while some search for a fortune in lost gold and others pursue internet fame via a mythical monster sighting. Replete with scumbag politicians, nefarious lawyers, robbers, organized crime, and get-rich-quick-scheme purveyors of misspelled t-shirts. Fun, although not as well crafted as Barry's "Big Trouble" or "Tricky Business" novels...quick read at 304 pgs (primarily dialogue.)